Holding up satirical signs amid Cape Town traffic, he’s paving a road to upliftment

In the midst of Cape Town traffic, Lusindiso Malgas holds up a sign of hope. When he lost his job as a warehouse packer, he needed a way to sustain his livelihood and provide for his three kids. With no source of income or higher qualifications, Malgas dug deep and devised a creative plan. “I was thinking, how am I going to survive?” he says. “That's where I started to write my signs on the street.” Throughout the day he shuffles his placards to cover a variety of content. From political commentary to pop culture, his satirical and provocative placards crack motorists up while appealing to their goodwill. One popular sign reads, “Let's do lunch, you buy”. Another laments, “Why lie, I need cash 4 cold beers”. While entertaining, Malgas is on a mission to uplift his family.

Malgas’ talent for making people laugh stems back to his school years in his hometown of Sterkstroom, Eastern Cape. During intervals and lunch breaks, he would scribble witty sentences on the blackboard for his fellow classmates. Years later he relocated to Cape Town, where he worked until being retrenched during the 2020 pandemic. While living in Dunoon, an impoverished township with a high crime rate, Malgas temporarily moved his children to his parents’ home out of concern for their welfare. But his ingenuity and drive could not be stifled. “To get through these tough times I relied on my sense of humour,” he says. Every day Malgas returns to the street to pursue his dream of building a house for his kids. “My goal is to reach my target so that I can bring my family ​​back to Cape Town,” he says. 

As Malgas turns a stop at the traffic light into a moment of levity for drivers, some have been kind enough to donate toward his plan. “I feel good to see people smiling and happy enjoying my sign,” Malgas says. “It motivates me to create more for them.” By turning his plight into an opportunity, Malgas remains committed to bettering his children’s lives and inspiring others. “Stay positive and think of something out of the box that can help people to build a better nation for everyone in South Africa,” he says.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      You can contribute to Lusindiso Malgas’ efforts to build a house here.